Nail Dryers & Lamps

Nail Dryer Fans and UV LED Lamps

A professional-looking manicure requires the right tools for the task. To create your own salon manicure at home, all you need are the proper supplies, which include items such as nail LED lamps and fans to dry and set different kinds of nail polish for various looks.

Lamps cure (or set) nail polish to create a finished manicure that lasts. Used in conjunction with UV nail polish or gel nail polish, nail UV lamps dry and harden nail polish within two to three minutes, ensuring your polish doesn't chip or crack. Though LED lamps accomplish the same end, neither affects the way your manicure looks, so it comes down to personal preference as far as which lamp you choose. Typically, UV cures UV and LED polishes (including shellac nails), while LED only cures LED polishes.

The main difference between LED light for nails and UV light is the time factor. LED (or light-emitting diodes) work to quickly dry and cure nails as quickly as less than a minute in some cases. This can effectively shorten the manicure time and provide a quick option for a manicure on the go. LED lamps also only work with specific nail brands, so be sure to check your specific nail polish to ensure compatibility with an LED lamp before purchasing one.

Nail dryers don't feature any type of lighting for manicure setting; instead, they simply use a built-in fan to effectively dry nails in a timely fashion. By blowing air directly onto your nails, you don't have to wait for your nails to air-dry on their own, which could end in a smeared manicure. For fast home nail polishing, a dryer fan makes a simple solution.

When you use an LED or UV lamp, you'll need to ensure that the bulb is fresh to maximise the benefits of either lamp. It can be helpful to purchase bulbs separately for these lamps, while making sure to keep an extra on hand. Some other nail supplies to keep nearby include replacement parts for your UV lamp, a mini lamp for manicures while you travel and other manicure supplies, such as toe separators and nail files. When you buy a lamp, make sure it's large enough to accommodate all five fingers at once, as a smaller lamp may be more difficult to use if it doesn't.